Hello this is my first post, diagnosed with underactive thyroid 3 months ago after a year of feeling awful, tired, low mood, weight gain, weepy etc. Started on 50mg levo after results of 5.8 tsh which initially made me feel much worse, headaches muscle aches in legs.

Saw gp had bloods done which came back today, he said all normal except cholesterol, managed to get copies so would appreciate your advice as still having painful legs especially at night in bed.

Serum ferritin 29 (15-300)

Serum vit b12 399 (180-300)

Serum folate 8.7

serum tsh 1.7 (0.35-4.7)

Red blood cell count 4.47 (4-5.2)

Platelet count 402 (150-400)

Monocyte count 0.58 (0.2-0.8)

Eosinophil count 0.1 (0.04 - 0.4)

serum cholesterol 7

Only advice was follow low fat diet for cholesterol result and do exercise, which I find difficult after dislocating and fracturing my shoulder whilst out walking a year ago - still having some discomfort, Thank you for any advice.

Missyunique, I think you are a little undermedicated. TSH of people on Levothyroxine is usually comfortable just above or below 1.0. High cholesterol is a hypothyroid symptom and often resolves when optimally medicated. Read the comments of the ex-president of the BTA in this link thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_... and email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk next week if you want a copy of the full article to show your GP.

Take your Levothyroxine with a full glass of water on an empty stomach one hour before or two hours after food and drink, two hours away from other medication and supplements and four hours away from vitamin D3, calcium, iron and oestrogen. Don't take your dose of Levothyroxine until after your next blood test.

Your ferritin is very low. Supplement Ferrous Fumarate and take each iron tablet with 500mg-1,000mcg vitamin C to aid absorption. Retest in 4/6 months and stop taking iron two weeks prior to the blood test.

Your B12 serum range is extraordinarily low. Most go up to 11-1200. Neurological symptoms can be experienced with B12 <500 so I would supplement 500mcg-1,000mcg methylcobalamin sublingual lozenges, spray and patches and also supplement a B Complex tablet to keep the other B vits balanced.

Thank you Clutter for your reply, you are correct I got the vit b12 ranges wrong I misread it should read 180 - 1,130 sorry I blame brain fog haha. I will visit the health food shop tomorrow to buy the vitamins you suggest I want to feel well asap. x

I'd be willing to bet that your Vit D3 is very low particularly in view of your accident. The likeihood is that you have not spent much time out in the sun. We all really need at least 15 minutes every day as well as Vit D from our veg and fruit.

My VitD3 was down to 32nmo/L and I would never have known if it wasn't for advice on here and my insisting my Dr did full spectrum bloods.

I had been having unexplained pain in my ankles and wrists at nightime for over 20 years .It feels like it is right in the joints . Not so much pain as a continual aching which kept me awake. Since taking 1600 IU VitD a day and upping my Levo to 125mcg a day I've not had a reccurence thankfully

Hi that's exactly the same kind of pain I get like a toothache inside the legs - I will ask to get vitD3 checked as well at this rate I will be going in with a list of requirements haha, and yes your correct I did not have my usual holidays in the sun last year as was recovering from the fracture also never ate many veggies as initially was too painful to do anything. Have started the new year with a healthy eating plan to reduce cholesterol and high bp . Appreciate your reply x

Missy, your diet has nothing to do with your cholesterol level. Cholesterol is made in the liver, and the body needs it. If it is above range, it's because you're still hypo, getting optimally treated will bring it down.

Having said that, high cholesterol is not a problem, it does not cause heart attacks. And telling you to go low-fat is very, very bad advice! Have a look here :

I would also forget the advice about exercising, too, until you are optimal. Just gentle walking or perhaps swimming is enough because if you exercise you will use up your T3, and it's very doubtful that you have enough!

As your iron and B12 are low, your magnesium and zinc probably are, too (hypos have low stomach acid which makes absorbing nutrients difficult). And that could account for you catching all those colds. Did you take vit C with your iron? Vit C is very important for lots of things, so it's always good to supplement it.

Hi Grey, Thanks for your helpful reply, I read the link very interesting and I now wonder why all doctors are obsessed with getting your cholesterol as low as possible. I have not taken iron or vit c before but after reading all these replys have bought some today and am now lol. I do quite a bit of walking as I don't drive and haven't the energy to do any extra exercise at all at the moment, finding it hard enough to do my job and babysit the grandkids haha. x

Welcome to our forum. When you are on optimum medication your cholesterol will reduce as higher cholesterol is one of the many clinical symptoms.

I believe your GP should increase your dose by 25mcg. 50mcg, being a starting dose, we usually need a higher dose in order to reduce our clinical symptoms.

The problem is that GPs diagnose blood tests and pay no heed to the clinical symptoms the patient may still have. They also don't appear to have a clue what clinical symptoms are either.

The aim is to have our TSH around 1, and some of us need it even lower. If you email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org and ask for a copy of the Pulse Online article and discuss with your GP question 6. It is by the past President of the BTA and is his recommendations.

The only 'normal' GPs should use is when the patient says she feels very well and with normal health (i.e. no clinical symptoms, energy back to normal etc). Your TSH is 1.7 so you would benefit from an increase, I am sure.

Do you take levo with 1 glass of water first thing and wait about 1 hour before breakfast? Take supplements/medications 4 hours apart from levo. Get the earliest possible appointment for thyroid hormone blood tests, not having taken levo before it but after. Many do well on levothyroxine but the have to have a decent dose. If you take vitamin C with levo, it helps convert it to sufficient T3, T3 (liothyronine) being the active hormone required by our Receptor Cells.

Others will comment on your blood tests. This a link and go to the dates November 20, 2002 and June 8, 2001.

We have to read and learn in order to recover our health but most doctors/endocrinologists don't understand about metabolism and the effect of thyroid hormones in our tissues. Mainly all they do is diagnose us by the computer print-out and then will prescribe other medications for the symptoms rather than a decent dose of thyroid hormones.

Thank you Shaws for you helpful reply - you guys know more then the doctors do and are much more helpful. Yes I agree I think I need 25mcg extra and will book apt for next week to try and achieve this. I have been taking levo at bedtime since I started as like my cup of tea first thing in a morning. Never knew about taking vit c though thanks x

If you take levo at bedtime, that's fine and it suits many members. But do NOT take it the evening before the blood test. You can take it after the blood test with your usual dose again at bedtime. Vit C is also helpful if we take iron supplements. If you take any supplements/medications they should be taken 4 hours apart from levo.

Hi reallyfedup123, thanks for your helpful reply, beginning to think my gp knows nothing about thyroid as he said all results were normal ranges. I will probably never trust him again lol. Yes I will get all the above vitamins plus maybe look at buying some t3 to help me get better sooner. x

Missy just remember it can all take time. My legs killed me at night. My muscles were so sore. Now a year and a half later no more pain in my legs. My cholesterol was thru the roof and as everyone says it is one of the symptoms. Hang in there. I am getting tested in February and even at this point they may up the meds again. Walking is good .....but like the goose said don't over do it ......seems the muscles are already stressed. Best to you..... wishing you well xoxo Susita

Hi and thank you Susita appreciate your reply, as I am fairly new to all this it helps to hear other peoples opinions and experience. Seems I need to take lots of vitamins and give them time to work. I have learnt more form this site then from the doctors from whom I learn nothing lol x